Submitted by
Russell Der
a Downhiller
from Richmond
Date Reviewed: December 13, 2003
Strengths: its really strong for what it looks like, but i also am a light guy. it can handle fat tires and disc brakes too which is good
Weaknesses: it came with marzochhi flylites and they busted and it leaked all over my disc brakes, now i have 4 stitches in my nose. the head tube is weak, mine looks kinda gay (colour wise) and 3inches of stock travel is not enough
Bottom Line:
its a very very sturdy bike. i dh with this puppy and it can handle decent sized drops. it would be perfect for what it is supposed to do which is cross country, but this is a versatile freeride bike. its a really good first bike. it does it all
Similar Products Used: none other compares to the spice
Bike Setup: rm spice w/junior ts, 24 & 26 x 2.7 on double tracks, hayes hydraulic discs
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Submitted by
Chris Clarke
a Cross Country Rider
from Nottingham England
Date Reviewed: November 18, 2003
Strengths: The frame might be abit heavy but can be agile on decents so strength does come into it big time.
Weaknesses: Well where do i start, from what the rest of you dudes got i got ripped off big time, mine was spec'ed with tektro V-Brakes which were useless and upgraded to LX, the forks Z5's were useless, i mean 80mm of travel a squirell has more in its front fingers, after the stanshions had given up the ghost i upgraded to Z2 flylights with 100mm of travel, next i upgraded the pathetic and rather weak LX rear mech to the old faithful XT as goes with the front mech, which made the bike handle like it should for what i paid for it. Next came XT shifters which are as smooth as glass for changing after my buddy had fitted them and tuned it up for me, it made the bike like a top range mountain bike, agile and smooth yet rugged but the draw back was the steering with its short riser bars so i changed these to wider Raceface riser bars and it became a dream to hammer on!!
Bottom Line:
Well to be honest i think for the UK market i was robbed, the spec that the USA and Canada got was higher and more in keeping with the price i paid which in pounds was £1249 and with the upgrades ive made over the past 2 years the bike stands me at just over £2000, but i do love the bike and have had some great times on it.
Bike Setup: LX v-brakes XT front and rear mechs Z2 flylight forks XT chainset XT chain and Cassette Raceface riser bars
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Submitted by
Brian Tunstill
a Weekend Warrior
from Hickory, NC
Date Reviewed: August 11, 2001
Strengths: Everything so far. Mine came with XT front and rear derailleurs, Sram 7.0 Brakes and Brake levers. I swapped out the Z5 for a 00' Rock Shox Judy Race. (More Travel!! 100mm). So far I havent had anything break yet. It handles 3 to 4 ft. drops with no problem at all. They say it is a cross country bike, but i think it could be used for freeriding (within reason). Overall its a great bike!!
Weaknesses: The tires that came with it were more like road tires that mountain bike tires. Stem just sucked. Not much else.
Bottom Line:
Overall this is a great bike. It can handle alot of punishment for a fairly cheap price - according to prices of mountain bikes now, a thousand dollars isnt that much.
Submitted by
Marc Huot
a Cross Country Rider
from canada
Date Reviewed: January 23, 2001
Strengths: hey, same as above, or below, where ever
Weaknesses: ya man, that pivot above the bottom bracket is horrible, always comes loose... finaly shes glues in place, but now i'm afraid to take it out and fix it
Bottom Line:
I want to get a better bike, obviously, something that can be ridden up some hills, but you know, nice for drops, and downhilling, i'm not into downhilling crazy yet, but thats cause i have a spice, i'm not going to race dh with this next bike i'm looking for (so not dh specific) and i'm only 16 so money is an issue... but i like the pipeline, and i would like some imput on it, or recommendations for a good bike. (i was thinking for maybe getting a vanilla r, and a z3 5 inch), and just putting that on my bike, but nothing is really good enough for what i want to do, and i dont know if that would make a great deal of difference (its still an xc bike), so if someone can help me in any way, please email me at maximilimus@hotmail.com, thanks, p.s. i was thinking 5-9 footers, drops, my goal would be one of those shacks at bus stops, the booth things, but mainly drops under 5, something really nice for freeriding
Submitted by
Marc Huot
a Racer
from St.Albert, AB, Canada Eh!
Date Reviewed: January 22, 2001
Strengths: cheap, pretty good ride, very nice bike, but....and its CANADIAN EH!!!!!!!
Weaknesses: i had a lot of bushings problems every month something new, but finally things seem to be working fine there...for now. not enough travel, heavy, stock components are no good
Bottom Line:
Well, i used it for cross country, way too heavy, and a lock-out would be nice, a better fork and so on, but i've used it pretty hard for freeriding (i want a pipeline now0, but it held up good, and i'm not talking about a crappy little xc boy here, i do what i can with this bike five footers often, a little bigger, i stopped for winter, and i dont want to go bigger and break the bike, or myself (not the softest landings), but its held up to the stuff i've put it through, so it can't be all bad, and its certainly a lot nicer that all those hardtails out there, i mean, if your not planning on going too big (i'd say 6 feet max on this thing or you'll bottom it out, or mash your nads on the seat (frame isin't right geometry for drops)) but anything less that 5 feet or so, should be a nice ride, specially for someone who isin't a true biker (i like to consider biking an art, no one gives us bikers credit!!! truly what is more pure than riding down a mountain with a nice bike (not mine)
Similar Products Used: norco rampage, specialized stump jumper
Bike Setup: LX cranks, clipless pedals, xt-lx shifting and derailers, all the rest was stock, but i've had to replace a lot of parts with time
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Submitted by
Sebastien
a Cross Country Rider
from Ste-Julie, Quebec, Canada
Date Reviewed: September 27, 2000
Strengths: Nice frame and geometry and suspensions setup
Weaknesses: Rear Vanilla shock not adapted to weight of every rider.
Bottom Line:
This is a full suspension bike that is really good for cross country riding. The geometry is good for climbing as well as for going downhill. I've used this bike even for freeriding and also went down some crazy downhill runs and the frame can handle punishment. Its built on a frame that I think is worthy of upgrades.
Bike Setup: Z5 fork, Fox Vanilla rear shock, Xt rear derailleur, RaceFace crank and rings.
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Submitted by
Andy
a Cross Country Rider
from Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Date Reviewed: August 27, 2000
Strengths: Agile and can take a fall with out coming to pieces. Nice comfortable geometry. good weight for the price, 7005 easton taperwall frame
Weaknesses: pivot bolts loosened near bb, forced me to take of the granny gear, tighten, then replace gear while on the trail
Bottom Line:
Maybe it was the shop that built it but I've had to do a lot of tinkering to get it just right in the way of adjustments, but now it rides perfectly, can't ask for anything better. I used to ride bikes produced by large companies such as specialized, but after riding a Rocky, I'll never go back, they've got things hooked up. You'll love this for single track up or down (no probs keeping up to or passed hardtails on a climb) SPEED SPEED SPEED. My only complain to Rocky is the loose pivot bolt, but I'm sure so loctite will cure that. If you want a bike that will take punishment, this is it.
Similar Products Used: Specialized Fsr comp, too soupy for my tastes and very short top tube, specialized rockhopper, Rocky Mtn Vapor
Bike Setup: stock--bomber Z-5, sram v-brakes, alivio crank, xt rear, stx-rc front, fox vanilla coil over rear shock, sun rims cr-18, michelin wildgrippers, rocky post, stem, and bars, added specialized clipless peddles
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Submitted by
Dave
a Cross Country Rider
from Vancouver,BC
Date Reviewed: August 21, 2000
Strengths: Pricing, component, rugged...
Weaknesses: Outdated rear suspension setup... requires frequent adjustment for different variety of ride.
Bottom Line:
Great rugged bike. Taken a few spills without any component failure. Suspension better on the 2000 model, but OK on my 99 Spice. Good geometry for some trials riding. Have to adjust rear shock really hard for hill and XC climbing, and back down for down-hilling. Coil setup really hard to adjust, btw. Will try a new FOX rear lock out shock in future. Definitely a more comfortable bike for XC than my Hammer!
My only beef is with the rear pivot bushings. The screw worked itself out due to the lack of loctite, and backed out almost completely. The bike would have seperated into two halves had I not noticed it in time. I tighten the screw back on, but the bushings where destroyed by that time. Luckily, my LBS warranty replaced the part the very same day I brought it back.
I got this bike on a year end clearance sale, which made it a good buy for a full suspension bike. Frame is the same as the Element model, so with upgrades in time... :)
Bike Setup: XT rear with STX-RC front ders. Bomber Z5 & FOX Vanilla suspension. Riser with Zoom Stem. Selle Italia Gel XO seat
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Submitted by
Mike McManus
a Downhiller
from Elmira, ON
Date Reviewed: June 12, 2000
Strengths: good entry level bike, pretty inexpensive. light full suspension frame
Weaknesses: bad brakes, bad rear suspension setup. way too plush
Bottom Line:
Well, this is an ok bike, but i seriously do not recommend it for anything than light XC riding. I started DH and Urban this year and I totally destroyed it, the screws at the pivot points are getting loose, and broken, and the front suspension is totally destroyed.
Submitted by
Carlos
a Weekend Warrior
from Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Date Reviewed: April 21, 2000
Strengths: Liviana comparada con otras full suspensions, colores llamativos
Weaknesses: El shock trasero es el mas barato de los Vanilla Float
Bottom Line:
En el tiempo que llevo usando esta bicicleta no me ha dado ningun problema. El moviento de pogo lo he controlado llenado la presion del shock unas 5 lbs mas que mi peso. Los descensos y el paso sobre piedras se sienten como si uno fuera en un cadillac. Por el precio la considero una buena bicicleta aunqe los componentes que uso son otros de las especificaciones, ya q las piezas eran de la VooDoo.
Bike Setup: Rock Shox SID XC del 2000, XT, Mavic CrossLink
Overall Rating:
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Submitted by
Jack kirk
a Cross Country Rider
from michigan
Date Reviewed: April 12, 2000
Strengths: This bike has been great! My first dualie and its light enough and fun enough and well... more than good enough for my skills. I feel that its something I can grow into for a couple of years. I'm 40 so it's a good ride with quality components (not the best) and well detailed. Oh did I mention that it's fun and it looks like a bicycle (double Diamond) I liked the frame too it looks solid welds and paint are good stickers don't stick so well.
Weaknesses: As far as I can tell NONE I have read that the rear braking can cause the rear suspension to lock out on descents but I have not experienced this.
Bottom Line:
I wrote this in reaction to the previous joker who trashed the bike with one chili after riding it for two years.
C'mon man the bike deserves far more than one chili. Maybe he's heavy or the shocks are shot I'm 195 and it's ok for me. It certianly doesn't bottom when I sit on it so maybe the pervious fella is really really heavy?
REGARDLESS this has been a fun wonderful bike and I would highly reccomend it for some one who is looking for a solid performer I bought it used off MTBR,... good deal too. As I understand, its the same frame as the "Race" with lesser components.
Did I mention that its a FUN and forgiving bike. I am too old to kid myself about alot of things (like being a fast racer) this bike has allowed me to get into the xc thing and enjoy it and basicly not get in my way. A bike's only a bike and this is a GOOD BIKE. I feel it's 5 chilis for me and maybe 4 for someone who really has ridden alot.
Similar Products Used: One of those cannondale dualies with headshock. Didn't like the look or the feel. Have a 1983 Puch that I've been riding since '85 and a couple 10 speeds
Bike Setup: 8 spd.lx deraliers, sun rims, judy w/englund kit up front and rockshox for rear, short 40 degree riser and riser bar
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Submitted by
funz
a Weekend Warrior
from castlegar, bc, canada
Date Reviewed: April 5, 2000
Strengths: strong frame
Weaknesses: everything else
Bottom Line:
suspension is way too soft, i have the thing cranked and it bottoms when i just sit on it.
Submitted by
as
a Cross-Country Rider
from menlo park, ca
Date Reviewed: January 1, 2000
Strengths: Model 2000, awesome components including the Marzocchi suspension, XT rear der., beautiful colors. Bike is very stiff and excellent on uphills, Shimano Deore v-Brakes
Weaknesses: At the price the components could be a bit nicer
Bottom Line:
Excellent bike for someone who's starting to get into mountain biking with lots of potential to keep up when the rides get tougher. I rode this bike now up and down the SF bay area on more than 8 trails and everytime it gets better
Bike Setup: Spice Model 2000, Marzocchi fork/front susp, Fox rear susp, XT rear der, deore hubs, brakes
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mike
a Cross-Country Rider
from Oakville, ON
Date Reviewed: December 20, 1999
Strengths: Almost everything! Frame quality, rear suspension design, colour, tires, drivetrain, (8speed) and the durability of the whole sha-bang.
Weaknesses: RS Indy C Selle Italia saddle Weight... but it's not that bad!
Bottom Line:
This is a work-horse of a bike that feels great when you're on it and looks great when you're off. Others will stare in admiration... after all, this is a softtail that still resembles a bike. The rear suspension does what it's supposed to... and is easy to take for granted. (As soon as you climb back on to a hardtail, everything turns from a bump back into a BUMP!) Bobbing under heavy pedalling is definitely minor enough for anyone looking for a bike of this price, and the shock itself, though not a brand-name, is dependable. The Rock Shox Indy didn't belong here, but two years ago, all companies were spec'ing like that. And the Selle Italia saddle after only one year is squeaking beyond the help of oil... (I only weigh 125lbs), but at least it was comfortable and sporty while it lasted. So I think you need a hydraulically-damped fork before you can tackle what the rest of the bike is already ready for, and a saddle that was luckier during production! The Ritchey tires are nice because they aren't worn out after a year of all sorts of surfaces, and the drivetrain parts are satifying simply because they aren't pains in the butt. I recommend this bike to anyone who has money to throw around and wants an awesome urban attack vehicle, and also to anyone who likes to ride long, bumpy trails that make the rear-ends of hardtails seem harsh and primitive. Thinking of either the Spice or a different bike? I think that if you don't want to take any negative risks, and don't care for positive surprises, than you should go for that other bike manufactured by that Huge American Company. But if you want a bike that tastes CaNaDiAn, and something that you can easily feel proud of, then go for the Spice. After all, an old, Empire-of-an-American-company won't miss your business...
Similar Products Used: GT Lts... and a bunch of other hardtails.
Bike Setup: 1998 stock (Shimano Stx & Sram 5.0) except fork upgraded to '99 RS Judy C... and bar ends added.
Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Dave Cairns
a Cross-Country Rider
from Calgary, Alberta
Date Reviewed: November 15, 1999
Strengths: by far the nicest frame in it's class in terms of price, weight(5.76 lbs. frame & shock), and efficiency w/fully active susp.
Weaknesses: mildly overdamped rear shock,grip-shift components,RS Indy fork had a flexy crown.
Bottom Line:
A handbuilt, Easton-tubed FS frame as a complete bike for 1300 Cdn. Other rising-rate ,fully-active FS bikes in this price range were (mine is a '97, by the way) hideously oversprung, displayed ugly welding, and lacked thoughtful features like 3 usable bottle-mounts, a beautifully machined chainstay yoke with long 45-degree welds for extra toughness, an actual, measurable 3.6 of rr. travel, and a highly upgradable frame weight. At that price point, they all came with mediocre componentry. I've been throwing this bike around for the past 2 summers and almost 3 winters and have yet to find fault with it's ride quality, climbing efficiency, or durability. But remember, I'm really reviewing the frameset and you get what you pay for, so if you are hardcore and a bit of a weight freak, and can't be hassled outfitting a frame with the goodies you already have at home, then check out the Element T. O. I give it 5 flaming peppers because nothing the competition offered came close in the style, function, & build quality of the frameset.
Similar Products Used: Specialized FSR, AMP B-3, Giant Atx-990.
Bike Setup: I bought this baby for the frame. It now has an Action-tec BB w/ Kooka cranks and brake levers, TNT hubs, Specialized Team Ed. tires, RS Judy SL, Syncros ti post, etc. Total weight 22.6 lbs.
